1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a marking system for identifying vehicles and other objects and, in particular, to a marking system for creating near invisible unique alphanumeric identification into the surface layers of such vehicles or other objects.
2. Description of Related Art
Vehicle identification numbers (VIN) and hull identification numbers (HIN) have been used for many years on motor vehicles and boats, respectively, to provide a unique alphanumeric identification for the vehicle. These VIN and HIN alphanumeric identifiers are useful in determining whether the vehicles are properly registered and also to locate and return stolen vehicles. Federal and state laws have required the marking of VINs on motor vehicles and HINs on boats for this purpose. These VINs and HINs are generally applied to the vehicle by the manufacturer in accordance with standards which permit the identification of the manufacturer and the particular vehicle and, optionally, with dates of manufacture and equipment on the vehicle. In the case of land vehicles, federal law has required the VIN to be marked on several locations on the vehicle body and on key vehicle parts. Federal law has also required the HIN to be marked on boats in a manner that is both visible and that will show any attempt to remove or alter the number.
It has also become common to mark VINs on other parts of a motor vehicle, beyond those required by federal law. For example, VIN can be etched or otherwise marked onto the glass on a motor vehicle to permit the tracking of parts stripped from stolen vehicles. The system employed by Vice Script Incorporated of Cheshire, Conn., has been particularly successful in this regard.
Notwithstanding the marking requirements for such vehicles, the location of the VIN and HIN indicia is generally known to thieves. As a result, after a vehicle is stolen, attempts are often made to remove or alter the VIN or HIN indicia and, in some instances, to substitute false numbers, to disguise the fact that the vehicle is stolen.
It would be useful to be able to mark a unique identifier on a vehicle or other object in a manner and location that is difficult to detect by a thief, yet still lends itself to easy identification in the event that the object is recovered.